


AngstTale

by TheAceManiac



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Chara Being Chara, Depression, Everyone Has Issues, F/F, Female Chara (Undertale), Female Frisk, Frisk Needs A Hug, Gen, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, POV Frisk, Papyrus is trying okay, Poor Papyrus, Sans Has Issues, Snow, Snowdin, Suicidal Frisk, Suicidal Thoughts, The Ruins (Undertale), Undertale Pacifist Route, luck question mark, no souls, suicidal undertale, why is everyone so angsty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 00:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,817
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9149278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAceManiac/pseuds/TheAceManiac
Summary: AngstTale takes place in an AU devoid of hope, replaced by a depressive sense of overwhelming hopelessness. Lacking human souls, it seems the monsters will never get free... until Frisk jumps into Mt. Ebott to attempt suicide, but survives. She finds new meaning for herself and a purpose for an otherwise useless existence: to free the monsters. Will she succeed? Or will the hopeless air of the underground get to her as well..?





	1. First Impressions

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: Heavy suicidal and depressive themes. If you are sensitive to this, please take caution!  
> If you'd like to see the characters, please visit my deviantart page here! http://theacemaniac.deviantart.com/

"Auugh!" With an angry shout, the doctor swept his arms across the table, throwing piles of papers and two glowing glass containers into the floor. They promptly shattered, glass shards spraying everywhere. Two souls, one deep blue and the other green, floated above the broken remains, glowing softly. He drew a shaky breath, clenching his fists, staring accusingly at the souls. "It isn't enough. It's never been enough! All these years, and for what? To have our hopes dashed once again?!" The hydraulic door to the lab and a young, concerned voice came through.  
"Dad? Everything okay? I heard something break-" The voice cut off when the young skeleton caught sight of the souls floating free above the wreckage in the floor. He gasped. "What happened?! We have to get them back into more safety containers immediately, or they'll shatter!" He started to rush over to the souls, intent on saving them, but the doctor held out his arm to stop him. "No. Don't you see, son? It's useless. With this limited power, we're never getting out of here. Why... even bother anymore?" The young skeleton gaped at his father in disbelief.  
"How could you say that?! We've.. we've worked so hard for this! This is our only hope!" He struggled to get free of his father's hold, but the doctor snapped his fingers, taking hold of his son's soul with the heavy weight of dark blue magic, pinning him in place. "Sans... I can't do this anymore, pretending that we're making a difference here. We're only creating false hope. The reality is that we're trapped down here with no hope of getting free. It's time monsters accepted their fate, as I have." Sans could hear the resigned and deeply felt sadness in his father's tone, urging him into silence. He could only watch as the souls dimmed and shattered, taking the hopes and dreams of all monsters with them.  
____________________________________

Frisk paced around the edge of the gaping hole anxiously, constantly casting eager glances down into the depths. She had prepared herself for this, even counted down the days until she could sneak past the barricades to climb up here. She wanted to do this, and it was almost guaranteed to be fast, and most importantly, painless. Still... that slight risk that she might survive the fall, and feel all the pain that would come after... She shuddered. The thought was horrifying. She paused, and took a deep breath. The risk was really small, though, right? Besides, she couldn't very well turn back now. They'd kill her for sure. Well, that IS what she wanted, but only by her own hands. This was her last chance. Frisk stepped right up to the edge, and looked down. She shook out her hands, gathered her courage, and jumped.  
It was a rush, falling like that. Feeling the wind whip her hair around madly, watching as the bright spot that indicated where the sky met the mountain grew increasingly small. It could only have lasted seconds, but it felt like an eternity. As she fell, her fear left her, replaced by an indescribable sense of peace. Finally, this would all be over. No more pain, no more misery. Just... darkness. That beautiful darkness. As one might expect, it came as an incredible shock when her fall was broken by a thick bed of golden flowers. Frisk stared up in utter disbelief as the golden petals disturbed by her arrival floated down gently around her.  
"Wow. That looked like it hurt. Of course it did, I should know. Course, I didn't get a cushy bed of flowers when I fell." A voice that sounded like it belonged to someone her own age came from close beside Frisk. A pale face appeared above her, staring down with mild curiosity. "Is it dead? Boy, wouldn't that be funny? The first human to fall in decades and its soul is trapped where it would be of no use." The figure chuckled bitterly. "Such is the luck of monsters, I guess." Dazed, Frisk blinked slowly, and looked up at the figure.  
"Wha... Who?" The face looked shocked at first, then smirked. "Ah, it lives. And it can see me. Interesting." Frisk sat up slowly, and the figure moved  
away. She glanced around, then down at her hands. "No.. No, this wasn't supposed to happen! I.. should be dead! Thoroughly, utterly dead!" Then, the pain set in. The horrifying pain. Blood from several small cuts seeped down her arms and soaked into the torn sleeves of her sweater. She began shake violently. "Ya know, I would classify not being dead as a good thing," said the voice. The pale figure floated around in front of Frisk and eyed her strangely. Frisk looked up, panic in her eyes. The figure was a bit shorter than her, most likely female, and translucent. She began to hyperventilate, though it wasn't the apparition in front of her that scared her so badly. The ghostly girl rolled her eyes and sighed.  
"Okay, okay. I get it. 'Oh no, scary ghost!' I'm not gonna hurt you, so just calm down, would you?" Frisk shook her head, struggling to get words out. "N..Not you.. I'm scared of.." She showed the ghost her badly scraped arms. The ghost scoffed. "Please, that's just a few little cuts! I broke my arm when I fell. Get over it." Frisk's frantic breathing intensified. She couldn't handle it. It wasn't supposed to happen this way! It wasn't.. "I.. algiophobia.." She managed to choke out before flopping over, unconscious.  
\-------------------------------------------  
Frisk blinked open her eyes groggily. She was lying on a soft bed in a dark room. Wait... She was lying on a bed? She quickly sat up, extremely confused. Last time she checked, beds weren't supposed to be in random underground caves. Not only that, but the pain she so vividly remembered had disappeared as well. She looked down at her arms to find that the scrapes were gone and her ruined blue and purple sweater had been replaced with a simple white shirt. Had.. had that been all a dream? She scanned the room around her, noting the various comfort items like picture frames, lamps, and even a toy chest. No.. This wasn't the institution. Her room had been bare and the bed much less comfortable. If not a dream, then what was this? Thinking of no solution, she lied back down and stared at the ceiling. She learned not to questions some things long ago, so she just accepted the chance to sleep in a comfortable bed for once. Well, lay there and think of sleep, anyway. She hadn't done much actual sleeping in years.  
Suddenly remembering the weird ghost thing, she glanced around the room again, but caught no sight of her. That didn't really surprise her. She had often hallucinated during panic attacks before, and most of those had been much scarier than a moody ghost. She was just about to close her eyes again when that slightly snarky voice sounded right near her head. "Oh, would ya look at that. Finally awake, are we? Took you long enough." Startled, Frisk sat straight up and stared at the ghost girl with surprise.  
"S..So, you're not just a figment of my imagination?" The ghost patted her own arm, as if to check if she did, indeed, exist, then looked up at Frisk. "Pretty sure I'm real. I mean, as real as a ghost can be." Frisk relaxed a bit, even smiling a bit at the ghost's sense of humor. "That's.. kinda weird, but you seem nice enough. Do you have a name?" The ghost girl seemed a bit taken aback by Frisk's response. She quickly regained her air of indifference, however, and scoffed.  
"Tch. Of course I have a name. Do you have a name?" Frisk paused, confused by her reaction "Uh..?" She was about to tell the ghost her name, when the door to the cozy little room opened and a tall figure stepped through, flipping the light switch as it came. Frisk raised her hand to block the sudden bright light. She felt a sudden pressure on one side of the bed, and lowered her hand to see who or what the figure was. What she saw left her shell-shocked. The figure was a tall goat-like woman with white fur, kind but sad blue eyes, and long drooping ears that were tipped in purple, as was the tuft of longer fur on the top of her head. She had two small horns, and a dress that was purple on top with a black layer near the bottom. The dress had an odd symbol on the chest in black, and semi-attached long sleeves. Netting covered the exposed part of her chest and part of her lower calves. Frisk stared blankly, mouth agape. She didn't know what to make of this strange person.. goat.. thing? The goat woman smiled, but it was somehow slightly unsettling. Not scary; it just didn't feel like a smile should. Frisk looked around for the ghost girl, hoping she could explain, but she had disappeared. Frisk's attention was drawn back to the strange woman when she began to speak. She had a deep, soothing voice.  
"Hello, child. You were unconscious for a very long time. I tried to wake you up at the entrance to the Ruins, but I could not. I had to carry you through the puzzles myself." She paused, seeming to notice Frisk's utter confusion. Her eyes widened a bit. "Oh, my. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Toriel. I live here, in the Ruins. I used to tend to the puzzles, but.. It has become irrelevant. You are the first human to fall in many years. May I ask your name, child?" Frisk stared for a moment, contemplating Toriel. She seemed friendly enough, but.. what WAS she? Could she trust her? Toriel, sensing Frisk's reluctance, patted her gently on the head.  
"Do not fret, child. I will not harm you. You are safe with me." Frisk smiled shyly, somewhat reassured. "My name.. is Frisk." Toriel smiled her odd smile. "Frisk...What a lovely name. It is so nice to meet you, Frisk." Frisk nodded. "Um, same, but.. Miss Toriel? What.. What ARE you?" Toriel looked at her strangely. "What am I? What an odd question... I am a monster. You do know of monsters, do you not?" Frisk shook her head, then paused. "Well.. I once heard talk of stories about monsters, but where I come from, I wasn't aloud to read books or look on the internet to look more into it.. I thought that's what they were. Only stories." Toriel chuckled softly. "Oh, no, child. Monsters are very much real. Though, from what you have told me, I suppose you would not know of the war or the events to come after. We have much to discuss, it seems." Toriel reached behind her and picked up a small, decorative plate that held a slice of pie, slightly blackened around the edges. "That can wait, however. I imagine you are very hungry after all this time." She looked embarrassed as she handed the treat to Frisk. "I apologize if it is not very good. I have not baked a pie in a very long time. It is cinnamon butterscotch."  
Frisk took the pie, her mouth watering. She WAS hungry, incredibly so. How long had she been unconscious? "Thank you, Toriel. It smells wonderful." Toriel seemed pleased. She patted Frisk again. She had a gentle touch. "You are quite welcome, child." She stood. Frisk realized she must have been over six  
feet tall, by how she towered over the bed. "I will let you eat and perhaps rest a little longer. When you feel ready, please come to the living room. We will discuss all you should know. I will wait for you." She smiled again, and left the room. Frisk leaned against the headboard of the bed, and took a bite of the pie .Toriel hadn't provided her with a fork, but she didn't mind. She put it down after the first bite, though. It was delicious, but what was the point? She still wanted to die. Surviving the fall and meeting the ghost and Toriel hadn't changed that; it just delayed her plans. Toriel seemed like a very caring creature, so Frisk wasn't sure she could get away with any drastic attempts at her life while under her watch. Something subtle, however, like starvation... But, wasn't starvation painful? Yes, that was why she hadn't done it a lot sooner.. That, and she got hit at the institution if she skipped more that one meal at a time. She suddenly got an idea. What if she only ate enough to keep the starvation pains at bay, but not enough to sustain her? It would be slow, but if there was no other option available.. Frisk picked up the pie again and nibbled at it. It tasted burnt, but not overwhelmingly so. The sweetness cut through that without issue. She had nearly eaten half of it when the ghost girl appeared again, slowly coming into focus near the bed. Frisk waved at her, mouth still full of pie.  
"So, Frisk, huh? That's a weird name." She sat on the foot of the bed, cross-legged. The bed didn't move at her arrival. "Do your parents  
hate you or something?" Frisk swallowed, and coughed. It was a bit dry, and Toriel hadn't provided a drink...  
"I don't have parents," she replied casually. This didn't bother her like it did a few years back. She had gotten used to the idea.  
"Oh." The ghost replied, obviously feeling slightly uncomfortable. "Sorry, I guess." Frisk shrugged, then eyed the ghost curiously.  
"It doesn't matter. Hey, so, you know my name now. What's yours?"  
"Something way better than Frisk."  
"..Okay, but what?"  
"Something awesome, with letters."  
"Come on! Tell me!"  
"Just eat your pie, Frisk." And so Frisk did, catching the hint; but only until the hunger pains subsided to the point she could stand them.  
She left three-quarters of it on the plate.


	2. Decisions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk comes to some realizations while staying with Toriel...

Frisk slipped out of the bed and walked over to the dresser, where Toriel had apparently left her mended clothes. The white T-shirt she had been provided was much too big, covering her to her knees. She picked up her sweater, then glanced over at the ghost, who was still watching her from the foot of the bed. She suddenly felt very awkward. "Uh.. Do you mind? I want to change into my other clothes.." The ghost girl waved her hand dissmissively.   
"Not at all. Go right ahead." Frisk swore she saw her smirk just the smallest bit. She sighed, knowing it wouldn't help to argue with her. She dressed as quickly as should could, stripping off the T-shirt and throwing on her dark blue and purple sweater and black pants. The ghost laughed condescendingly. "You're pretty scrawny, huh? Even with all those flowers, it's a wonder you survived that fall." Frisk blushed and furrowed her brows, turning away.  
"Yeah, well. I wish I hadn't," she mumbled. She reached up to run her fingers through her hair, a habit she developed when she was young, and realized how messy it was. The left side of her head was shaved, but on the right side her hair was long and soft, and usually hung neatly over her face. Now, though, it was tangled and sprawled across her head. She felt the sudden need to brush it. She began to rumage through some of the drawers on the dresser, though they had scarcley any objects in them. The ghost girl appeared by her shoulder, making Frisk jump. She smirked a bit, obviously enjoying that.   
"What're ya looking for?" She watched as Frisk continued her search.  
"A hairbrush."  
"Try the top drawer over on the nightstand by the bed." Frisk did, and was pleasantly surprised to find an old, faded gray hairbrush. She had expected the ghost to just make her open an empty drawer..   
"Thanks. But, uh.. How did you know it was in there?" Frisk looked over at the ghost girl curiously. She looked away, an unreadable expression on her face.   
"Intuition," she said simply. Frisk paused, then shrugged. She didn't know anything about what powers ghosts may or may not have. Not wanting to keep Toriel waiting, she hurried to brush out her hair. Several of the brittle bristles broke in the process, but she was able to get it done. When she was satisfied, she put down the brush and walked over to the door opening it. Turning back, she saw that the ghost had stretched out on the bed she had previously occupied. Her eyes were closed. Did ghosts even need to sleep? Frisk decided not to contemplate that too much. She closed the door behind her to leave the ghost to her own devices. The hallway she stepped out into was a cheerful shade of yellow, though the pots that held the skeletal remains of some type of plant kind of off-set that. Toriel was a strange creature, Frisk decided. She walked down the hallway and entered a large living room occupied by a table with a single chair, a dusty bookcase, and a fireplace with a large recliner sitting near it. Occupying that, watching the flames dance, was Toriel.   
"Miss Toriel?" Frisk called softly. Toriel blinked, and looked over at Frisk with her unique smile. "Ah, there you are, child. I hope you feel alright now with proper rest and a full stomach." Frisk nodded, smiling a bit. Toriel may be strange, but she was so nice. Nicer than most of the adults she had known in her life.. she almost felt bad that she'd have to find her malnurished body laying in that soft bed one day. "Yes, I feel much better. Thank you."   
"Very good," Toriel said sweetly. She gestured to the single chair by the table. "Why don't you bring that chair over and sit by the fire with me? I will tell you a bit about monsters." Frisk did so, situating herself near, but not too close to, the fire. To her surprise, she only felt a comforting warmth from the flames, not a hot heat. She might've put her hand in the flames out of curiosity if she wasn't so afraid of being burned..   
Toriel looked back into the flames, a contemplative look crossing her goat-like features. "Hm, where to start? You do not seem to know a thing about my kind.. I suppose the begginning is as good a place as any." She looked back at Frisk. "A long time ago, monsters dwelled on the surface with the humans, and we lived in relative peace. Over time, the humans grew to fear us, however. You see, unlike humans, monsters are made mostly of magic. All monsters naturally have access to spells and other magical properties that very few humans could perform. They became wary that we would use that power against them in a sort of rebellion, or what not." She paused, and took a breath. Frisk didn't really fully understand everything Toriel said, but she found it interesting. She listened attentively. Toriel continued, "The human's fears were unfounded, however. They are much stronger than us, with their physical forms. In addition, monsters are attuned to their soul, and our wishes and emotions affect our strength. For instance, if a monster truly did not wish to fight, and the intentions of the attacker were cruel, that monster could be easily killed. The humans did not seem to know this, or simply did not care. They made war with monster kind, and we were defeated. They drove us underground, and sealed us here with powerful magic." Another pause, this one accompanied by a sad, almost wistful look. "That was over a thousand years ago. We have been trapped here ever since. We once had hope of escape, but.." She looked at a picture frame that stood alone on the mantle of the fireplace. Inside was a deteriorating photograph of what looked to be Toriel, another, larger monster that looked similar to her, a smaller goat-like monster, and... a human? "..that hope died long ago."   
Toriel sighed, and looked back at Frisk, her strange smile once again occupying her features. "That is all I have to tell, child. Might I assume you have questions? That was quite a lot to take in, I'm sure." Frisk was about to shake her head, not seeing the point in knowing any more if she'd be dead soon anyway, even if she did find it interesting. However, she had noticed something odd... That human in Toriel's photograph, they looked an awful lot like the mysterious ghost girl.. "Just one," she said, pointing to the photograph. "Is that your family, Toriel? I haven't seen any of them but you. Did something happen to them?" Toriel seemed a bit surprised that that was Frisk's question. Then, an odd expression came over her face. Pain? Saddness? Longing?  
"...Yes, child, they were my family. That part of my life is long over, though, I'm afraid. My children died many years ago, and Asgore.." A new emotion joined the mix. Disgust, it seemed to Frisk. "...Asgore changed for the worst after they died. I could not abide by it, so I left him and came here." Frisk felt bad for the kindly monster. She was so sweet for having been through so much.. "I'm so sorry," Frisk said quietly. Toriel patted her hand. "Thank you, child, but you do not need to be sorry. That was decades ago." Frisk nodded, and fell silent for a moment before asking the question she really wanted to know the answer to.  
"Toriel, if you don't mind me asking... What were their names? Your children, I mean." Toriel smiled fondly, replaying memories of them in her mind. "My son's name was Asriel. He was such a sweet, caring child. My daughter, Chara, arrived several years later in much the same manor you did. She was quite energtic and willful. They got along wonderfully, always smiling and laughing. Though, Chara was prone to getting in trouble, and dragging her brother along with her..." She chuckled and trailed off, her expression turning somber. Frisk decided it was best not to pry any further, and so simply gave Toriel a small smile.   
"They sound like were wonderful. Thank you for sharing." So... Chara was her name, huh? Not really as amazing a name as she had let on, Frisk thought smugly. Toriel petted Frisk's head softly, before looking back into the fire. "Not at all, child. Those are fond memories, ones that I do not mind reliving. Even if they are laced with saddness. Oh!" She suddenly exclaimed, startling Frisk. "I almost forgot. Does this belong to you? I found it lying in the bed of flowers you fell into." She reached to the side of the recliner, where a small table sat, and picked something up. Turning, she showed it to Frisk. It was a single, small golden-ball that hung on short cord with a hook at the end. Frisk gasped, her hand shooting to her right ear. She hadn't even realized her earring had been missing! She quickly took it from Toriel and fumbled to put it in its rightful place. "Yes, thank you so much! This... means a lot to me." She smiled gratefully. That earring had been given to her by one of the few true friends she had had. She didn't know what she'd do if she lost it...  
Toriel chuckled sweetly. "You are quite welcome, child." She paused, and seemed conflicted on what she wanted to say next. "Child.. Frisk.. I wanted to talk to you about something else. I.. haven't been responsible for anyone but myself in a very long time, and my skills have a suffered as a result, but.. I want to promise you that I will make your life here as comfortable and enjoyable as I can. I will refresh my cooking skills, and I know many fun games.. I can show you my favorite bug hunting spot, though I haven't been there in some time... You know, I once wanted to be a teacher. Perhaps I could even prepare a curriculum for your educaion.." She stopped, realizing she was rambling. "I am sorry. My point is, we can have a good life here, Frisk. It may take some getting used to, but I know it will be wonderful." She smiled her strange but impossibly sweet smile. The full weight of what she had planned came crashing down on Frisk. She... She couldnt't do that to Toriel, especially after she had already lost two children. She was just too sweet.. Frisk dying would crush her, and worse, Frisk believed she would blame herself. Frisk desperately wanted to die, but she didn't want to hurt anyone by doing so. It had been so much simpler when she had no one to care for her..   
"Is something the matter, Frisk?" Toriel asked, noticing her silence. Frisk shook her head. "N.. No. I'm, just, still tired is all. I.. think I'll go back to my room and try to sleep some more." Toriel nodded, slightly concerned. "I understand. That was a lot to go through. Rest all you would like." Frisk nodded, saying nothing more as she stood and stalked quickly to her room. When she opened the door, she saw Chara floating in front of a small bookcase in one corner, inspecting its contents. She looked up as Frisk closed the door and plopped down on the bed. Normally, Frisk would have teased her with the knowledge of her name, but she really didn't feel up to it. She jusy buried herself under the covers and pulled the blanket over her head. She hoped Chara would leave her alone... but she hoped in vain, she realized, when she heard her voice sound by the bed.   
"What, talking to Toriel tire you out that much? You just woke up! Geez, are you that weak? ..Or are you just that lazy?" Frisk could practically hear the smirk on her face. She just grunted moodily in response. Chara only laughed. "Fine, sleep away your life for all I care. I'll just read one of these books. I found one about snails. So intriguing!" Frisk half expected her to keep bugging her, but Chara left her alone after that. It gave Frisk time to think. She had to leave, she knew that much. She couldn't die while under Toriel's care. She had to find a decent excuse, since she couldn't very well tell Toriel she wanted to leave because she didn't want Toriel to see her die.. Suddenly, she had an idea. She could just tell Toriel she wanted to go home, right? It would be perfectly believable that she had a family that she missed on the surface, wouldn't it? After all, Toriel wouldn't know about the baracaeds placed around Mt. Ebott that prevented most people from climbing it. She could just be a curious child that accidently fell while exploring, and missed her family. Yeah, that sounded entirely possible. At least she hoped.. Frisk sighed quietly. Well, it was a plan, anyway. She decided to tell Toriel in the morning... tonight had been enough for her. At least she assumed it was night, anyway. She couldn't be sure in cave. Suddenly feeling tired, probably left over fatigue combined with the mental strain, Frisk soon fell into a troubled sleep.  
\----------  
Frisk awoke several hours later to a soft knocking on her door. Toriel's voice came through the door. "Frisk? I have prepared breakfast for you, if you are hungry. I will be in the living room when you are ready to come out." Frisk sat up, stretched, and sighed. Well, here we go.. She looked up, and saw Chara lying on the floor, an open book in front of her. "..Have you been up all night reading?" Chara looked up, a bored look on her face.   
"Yeah, so? It's not like ghosts need to sleep or anything." Well, there was one question solved. "These are all pretty boring, though. All informational crap. Seriously, who needs to know this much about snails?" Despite saying that, she immediately returned her attention to the book. Frisk just shook her head, and after giving her hair a quick brush, she stepped out of the room to face Toriel. She paused just outside of the living area, and took a deep breath. It was okay. She could do this. She walked over to Toriel, ignoring the dining table that had been set with another slice of the pie and a tall glass of milk. Toriel looked up from her book at her approach, a set of reading glasses on her nose.   
"Yes, Frisk? What is it? If you wish to talk more, I suggest we wait until after you finish your breakfast." Frisk shook her head. "No. I... I have to tell you something."  
"What is, Frisk? You seem distressed." Toriel leaned forward in her chair, concerned.  
"Miss Toriel... You've been so kind, and I'm grateful to you for taking care of me, but..." She looked into Toriel's kind face. "I.. want to go home."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To see the characters, visit my deviant art here: http://theacemaniac.deviantart.com/  
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Ties That Bind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk leaves the Ruins and finds a promising opportunity in a snowy pine forest. She makes a startling discovery about her ghostly companion.

Toriel stared at Frisk is stunned silence, then slowly stood and placed a large, furry hand on her shoulder. An anxious look entered her beautiful blue eyes. "O-Oh, child. Of course you do. I suppose you must have family on the surface, who miss you terribly... Why don't you sit down to breakfast, and we will discuss this more afterwards? I.. have something I must attend to first." She stepped past Frisk and started in the direction of the staircase she had noticed earlier. Frisk reached out quickly, grabbing Toriel's dress.  
"Miss Toriel, wait! Please, I want to leave now. I.. really can't wait." Toriel stopped, but didn't look back. She only gently disengaged Frisk from the dress and continued walking. "Frisk, please, just eat your breakfast. We will discuss this further when I return. Do not follow me." Toriel hurried away, descending down the stairwell. Frisk briefly considered obeying her, but she knew she had to get away as soon as possible. She didn't want to delay the inevitable. With a determined huff, she took off after the goat woman, taking the stairs two at a time. The long stairwell lead to long, dimly lit hallway. The walls, floor, and ceiling were all cast in purple brick. Not seeing Toriel at the bottom of the stairs, Frisk sprinted down the hallway to catch up to her. She stopped when she finally caught sight of her, standing in front of a large door. The same symbol that was on Toriel's dress was engraved into it. Frisk paused to catch her breath, then called out to her.  
"Miss Toriel..? Is..is that the exit?" Toriel jumped, then turned around, an extremely sad look on her face. "Child... I told you not to follow me." She sighed, then continued, "Yes, this is indeed the exit of the Ruins. I am here to seal it closed." Frisk gaped in disbelief. Did this kind, albeit strange, monster intend to basically kidnap her!? She took a step closer. "But, why? I.. need to go home! You can't just keep me here!" Toriel flinched as if Frisk's words had physically hurt her.  
"Child, please understand.. If I allow you to leave, they...Asgore...will kill you. Remember that I said we are trapped here with powerful magic? That magic can only be broken with the power of seven human souls. Asgore has only two. Times are desperate. He'll have every monster under his command hunting you down! I.. simply won't allow it!" Frisk almost laughed at the irony of that. Dying was exactly why she wanted to leave, and to spare Toriel the pain of seeing that. And, hey, if her death could help the monsters, that was just an added bonus. Seeing that Toriel was close to hysteria, Frisk took another couple careful steps forward and spoke softly. "Miss Toriel, it's okay. I'll be careful, I promise you. I won't let anyone kill me. Getting back to my family is too important to me for that. Please, let me leave." Toriel held out her right hand, her eyes opening wide.  
"Child, do not take another step! I cannot let you leave! I will stop you myself, if I must!" A brightly glowing orb of fire with a black core materialized above her palm. Frisk stopped, a slight tremble shaking her thin frame. Toriel didn't really intend to hit her with that...did she? That looked like it would hurt. A lot. She lifted her hands in front of her defensively. "M-Miss Toriel, please don't! I only want to see my f-family again! I won't let them hurt me, please...!" Frisk squeezed her eyes closed in anticipation. When several moments passed without her exploding into flames, she opened her eyes slightly to see Toriel on her knees, sobbing quietly. Frisk rushed over to her, dropping to her knees. Toriel wiped her eyes and looked at Frisk with a hopeless smile.  
"Oh, child. It is pathetic, is it not? I could not bring myself to hurt you even to save your life. I have a feeling that even if I did, you would not have given up until I allowed you to leave. She rose slowly to her feet, Frisk following suit. "I only ask that you keep that same attitude with whatever you face beyond that door. Child...Frisk...You promised me you would be careful. Keep that promise, will you not?" Frisk breath caught in her throat. The look on Toriel's features... She had never seen anything quite so sad. She could only nod. Toriel smiled that strange non-smile and pulled Frisk into a warm embrace. "Very good. I wish you the best of luck. Goodbye, Frisk." She let her go, and turned around. She paused for only a moment before walking swiftly back down the hallway, to that warm house Frisk knew she would miss dearly. She didn't look back. Frisk took a deep breath, rubbing her eyes to chase away the tears that threatened to fall. "Goodbye, Miss Toriel," she said quietly to the empty hallway. She turned and faced the door. Finally, she could just get on with what she climbed this stupid mountain to do. She struggled to push the heavy door open, grunting with the effort. When she stepped outside the door, she was shocked the find a snow-covered pine forest. She wasn't as perplexed as she would have been if not for the experience in Toriel's cozy home, but still... a forest in a cave? And how was it snowing underground? Frisk just sighed, accepting it. She figured there would be much stranger things than that in a world full of monsters.  
Frisk closed the Ruins door behind her and stood admiring the scene. It was quiet, and peaceful. Frisk always did love winter for that reason. Maybe this could be where she finally died. While considering the methods available to her in these woods, she felt a now-familiar presence appear next to her. "Chara," Frisk said purposefully. The ghost made a disappointed noise. "Damn, I was hoping to scare-" she paused, then appearing in front of Frisk, a dangerous edge to her voice. "Wait. What did you say?" Frisk looked at her, unfazed by her tone. "Chara. That's your name, isn't it?" The ghost girl gave her a dark look.  
"How did you figure that out? You were never supposed to know." A look of realization came over her face. "Ah. Toriel told you, didn't she?" Frisk nodded, and Chara gave a resigned sigh. "Of course she did. Old fool hasn't had any contact in so long she must've been desperate to blab to anyone who would listen. Didn't help that she actually liked you for whatever reason." Frisk was very confused by Chara's words. Wasn't Toriel her mother? She was speaking awfully harshly of her.. "Chara," Frisk said, "Wasn't Toriel... like your mom? Why are you talking about her like tha-" She was cut off when Chara was suddenly appeared close to her face, a scary expression crossing her features.  
"Hey! Just because you know my name now, doesn't mean you're entitled to anything else, got it?! It's none of your business!" Frisk took an involuntary step back, shocked. She quickly recovered, though, and glared at the ghost. "Fine! I didn't want to know anything about you anyway!" She stomped through the snow past Chara. She stopped and turned after a few steps and, still riding the adrenaline rush of anger, shouted, "You know, why are you even here?! It's obvious you don't like me! Why don't you just go back to your stupid books and leave me alone?!" Frisk was expecting her to indignant, angry... and boy, was she, but there was something else in Chara's expression that Frisk wasn't expecting: hurt? She didn't have much time to contemplate that, because the ghost barked out, "Maybe I will!" and disappeared. Frisk stood in the silence of the snow-covered forest for a few moments, staring at the spot the strange ghost girl had been and collecting her thoughts. Had she been too harsh? She shook her head. No, she had it coming. Right? It didn't matter, anyway, she decided. She would be dead soon and she doubted she'd see Chara again before then.  
That in mind, Frisk started trekking through the deep snow, keeping an eye out for that perfect place to just lay down and die. Hypothermia, from what she read, was pretty painful, which she didn't like. She also read, though, that if the person fell asleep in the snow, it could be a pretty peaceful way to go. That's what she going for. She trudged through the snow for a little while before coming to a small, worn-looking wooden bridge. Below it was... blackness. She shuddered. She didn't have very good memories of the last time she fell down a mysterious black hole. The gap couldn't have been more than five feet wide, but the little bridge looked old and unused. Cautiously, Frisk place one foot on the first wooden plank, slowly applying pressure. It creaked horribly, but it held. Feeling only slightly better, she took a deep breath and dashed across the bridge as quickly as she could. The boards groaned under her weight, but she made it safely across. She let out the breath she had been holding, thankful, for once, for her miniscule frame. She continued walking, but something soon caught her attention. That sound, was that... running water? Excited, Frisk headed toward the sound. She loved rivers! Not only that, but the sound could help lull her to sleep. She couldn't believe her luck!  
Frisk reached an alcove in the trees and walked farther in, the sound growing louder. As she had predicted, a small river ran past the edge of the alcove. It ran quickly, gurgling and rippling in a playful way. Frisk smiled, satisfied, and lay down in the deep snow at the edge of the bank. She shivered and closed her eyes. Already she could feel the snow melted by her body heat soaking into her clothes, chilling her. She desperately hoped this wouldn't take too long. She wasn't particularly tired, after all, but the sound of the river was pretty soothing. She tried to focus on the sounds of the river rather than the cold, and after a few minutes, it started to work. She could feel herself begin to drift off. She began to feel that peaceful feeling she felt when she first fell, with its soothing promise darkness.  
That feeling didn't last long, though. Frisk sensed that now all-too-familiar presence appear close to her. She groaned inwardly. Why couldn't the ghost just leave her alone to die? She didn't move and kept her eyes closed, hoping Chara would just get bored and leave. She hoped in vain. "I can tell you're not actually sleeping, you know," came Chara's snarky tone. Frisk sighed and sat up slowly, giving the ghost girl a dirty look. "Well, can't blame me for trying. What are you even doing here? I thought I told you to go back to your books. Why do you insist on following me around like some lost puppy?" Chara's eyes narrowed, obviously annoyed.  
"Oh, please. Don't think so highly of yourself, dollface. I'd happily be sticking my nose in another snail book if I could. I tried to, in fact, but before I even got halfway through that hallway I was dragged right back here next to your scrawny ass." Frisk nearly rolled her eyes. That was ridiculous. Did she really expect her to believe some mysterious force brought her back here? "Sure, Chara. Whatever you say. Now, can you kindly let me get back to my nap?" She gave the ghost girl a pointed look. Chara scoffed. "What, you don't believe me?" she said indignantly. "Here. I'll prove it to you. Watch this." Chara took off down the alcove back toward the main path. Frisk watched indifferently, just wanting this to hurry up and be over. As Chara turned the corner, though, Frisk gasped. She felt a strong tug from deep within her chest, and when she looked down, she could see a faint red glow shining through her sweater. Half a second later, Chara reappeared on the ground next to Frisk, dropping to her knees. She looked like she'd just been dragged back. She sat up, smoothing her green and yellow sweater and short, light brown hair. "See? Told you." Frisk just stared. There, in the same spot as Frisk's chest, a faint red glow shined from Chara's being. She looked down, mildly surprised. "Huh. That didn't happen the first time. Ya know, felt like I was being dragged a lot more forcefully, too.."  
Frisk touched her chest where the glow was coming from. "What.. Chara, what is this?" She looked the ghost girl in the face. Chara shrugged, and placed her own hand over her glow. "Not sure. I've never come across anything like it before." As she touched it, the glow faded as quickly as it had appeared. She looked up at Frisk with a mocking grin. "Guess this means your stuck with me, dollface." Frisk sighed and stood, having given up the hope of dying here. Shame, it was so peaceful by the river, too..  
"Yeah, don't call me that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! If you have any thoughts about AngstTale, please share them below! I'd love to read some. :D  
> If you'd like to get a better visual of the characters, you can visit my deviantART page here: http://theacemaniac.deviantart.com/  
> By the way, thanks for the Kudos. It means a lot, and keeps me motivated.. ;_;


	4. A Strange Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk gets annoyed at Chara's relentless questions. She meet a new... friend?

Frisk walked back out of the alcove, Chara following close behind. Together they headed further down the cleared path through the trees. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, Frisk still pretty peeved about Chara's interruption. Chara spoke up, though, as they entered a wider part of the path. "So.. Why'd you decide to take a nap in the snow? That's pretty dangerous, isn't it? Hypothermia and all." Frisk looked over at her, debating on whether or not to share her true intentions to the ghost girl. It wasn't as if she was really trying to hide it, and besides, she would find out sooner or later anyway if they really were stuck together. She looked away, back at the path ahead, and spoke in a nonchalant tone.  
"Not that it's any of your business, but that was kind of the point." Chara was quiet for a minute, then, ''Oh. Oooh! You were trying to die!" She floated around in front of Frisk and grinned slightly, amused. "Heh. Guess I kinda ruined that for ya, huh?" Frisk just glared. Chara held her hands up with a chuckle. "Sorry, sorry." She her expression turned contemplative. "Hm. So, I'm guessing you didn't just fall down that hole on accident, then. That also explains why you were so freaked out back there before you fainted like a little wuss. I wonder, then-"  
"Chara, just shut up about it, okay?" Frisk interrupted abruptly. "Yes, I jumped on purpose. Yes, I was freaked out because there wasn't suppose to be a freaking giant bed of flowers underground to break my fall. I want to die, but on my own terms. Those terms don't include annoying ghosts following my every move and asking dumb questions." She gave Chara a pointed look. Chara scowled, crossing her arms. "It's not my fault we're chained together, Dollface. I don't particularly enjoy this either." Frisk groaned, annoyed, and walked faster, ahead of the ghost girl. A little farther down the path, the pine forest ended abruptly. In its place were rocky, snow-covered cliffs. Frisk approached one of the edges and peered over. The bottom seemed incredibly far away... The pine trees that grew there seemed like twigs. She stepped back, dizzy. Before, she would have seen that as another opportunity, but she was paranoid about the jumping method after her experience in the Ruins. Walking forward, Frisk discovered that this cliff and the next were connected by yet another dilapidated wooden bridge. The gap was shorter, but that wasn't really much of a comfort to Frisk. She sighed, and gently placed one foot on a board, testing the waters.  
Chara gave her a confused look. "What're you doing? It doesn't matter if it breaks, right? I thought you wanted to die. Falling from this height would just about guarantee it. What're you so afraid of?" Frisk swallowed, and looked back at the ghost girl. "I thought the same thing before jumping down that hole. Well, as you can see, that didn't exactly turn out too well. It.. really hurt, you know? I don't want to go through that again." The boards seemed to be able to take her weight, so she raced across. Once safely across, she paused to catch her breath. "Really hurt?" Chara scoffed. "Please, you only had a few cuts and scrapes." She floated across the bridge, making Frisk eye her jealously. "Why let that stop you from something you apparently want to badly?" Frisk began walking again, avoiding eye contact with the ghost girl.  
"Um, well.. I, eh, have agliophobia. The... fear of pain. It's annoying." She heard Chara trying to stifle a chuckle. "Pff... Wow, that is.. incredibly ironic. Suicidal but afraid of pain. You sure are hilarious, Dollface." Frisk's face warmed with embarrassment. "Yeah, well, it's not like I can control that kind of thing. Hey, I have an idea. Why don't we just walk in silence for awhile? That sounds fun, right?" She said with feigned excitement. Chara sighed dramatically. "Ugh, fi-ine..." Frisk took a relieved breath. Finally. She was afraid Chara would never shut up..  
As they continued walking along the cliffs, Frisk noticed something odd near the top edge. It looked like two small, wooden houses, half-buried in the snow. They looked incredibly old and on the verge of collapse. Frisk would've asked Chara about them, but she didn't want to give her free reign to talk again.. Instead, she just left them behind and continued down the cliff pathways. They continued on in silence for awhile, Frisk having to cross two more old wooden bridges, much to her dismay. One of the boards cracked under her weight while crossing the last one, sending her into a breif panic as she scrambled across and fell into the snow on the other side. That sent Chara into a laughing fit. Frisk only glared and huffed in annoyance as they continued forward. Soon after, they came to another wide-open area, one of those strange wooden huts (barely) standing in the top center. As they walked past that and entered a narrow natural bridge surrounded by tall, scraggly trees, Chara began making small impatient noises. Frisk tried to ignore her, but her noises turned to persistent sighs. Frisk growled and stopped, turning to her. "What, Chara? You obviously want to say something, so just do it." Chara flashed an innocent smile. "Oh, why thank you for giving me permission to speak, Dollface." She floated closer to Frisk, a dark curiosity in her eyes. "So. What happened to make you want to off yourself so badly, hm? C'mon, tell me." Frisk gave her an incredulous look before turning and stomping forward. "That is incredibly personal, Chara! It's none of your business!" She didn't bother to conceal her anger. She suddenly wheeled around to face the ghost girl. "You know what, I'm tired of you asking all these questions! You know I want to die, but that's all you're getting! I don't even know you!" She turned back around and continued down the path, barely paying attention to where she was going. "You know, Chara, we may be chained together but that doesn't mean we have to know everything about each other. In fact, I'd rather we didn't know ANYTHING about each other! I think we should just-"  
"Frisk."  
"No, Chara! Let me finish! I think-"  
"Frisk!"  
"What?!" She turned to glare at the ghost girl. Chara returned the look with an amused smirk.  
"Better watch where you step, Dollface."  
Frisk glanced down, and realized she had walked right to the edge of the cliff on the other side of the walkway. She let out a startled yelp and tried to scramble backwards, but her foot slipped in the snow and she tumbled forward over the edge. She screamed as she fell, the cold air whipping around her face. She braced herself for the pain she knew would come... but was surprised when she landed big snow drift that had gathered at the base of the cliff. She lay there for a moment, trembling. She couldn't believe her luck... Then she almost laughed at the thought. Luck, huh? She could've died if not for this snow drift. It was funny, her fear of pain nearly outweighed her desire to die in that one moment.. Boy, she really was pathetic, wasn't she? She sat up slowly, snow caked on her clothes and in her hair.  
A split second later, Chara appeared beside her, looked miffed, her hair ragged. Once again, her chest was glowing faintly red. Frisk looked down at her own chest, and realized that the glow had appeared on her, as well. Chara sighed. "Right. Forgot about that. How annoying." Frisk nodded, agreeing whole-heartedly. She would've said so, but she didn't trust herself to speak quite yet. Chara looked up, then a strange her look crossed her features as she looked over Frisk's shoulder. "Uh, Frisk?" Frisk frowned. "What?" She turned to look at what had caught Chara's attention, and saw a short figure wearing a dark blue hoodie with the grey hood pulled over his face staring at her. He was leaned casually against the wall of the cliff, wearing an oddly neutral expression on his pale face. When he noticed she had caught sight of him, he spoke. His deep voice was as oddly emotionless as his expression.  
"Hey, kid. Kinda dangerous to be playing near cliffs, huh? Or maybe you weren't playing. Hell, I've seen younger throw themselves off cliffs. Whatever, it doesn't really matter to me." He closed his eyes and rested his head back against the rock face. "Here's a tip. Try Hotland next time. I guarantee there's no pesky snowdrifts there." Chara scoffed. "Wow, he's a real bundle of joy, huh?" Frisk remained quiet, staring at the odd... man? No, that wasn't right. As she looked closer, she noticed boney legs poking out of the black shorts he wore. Was he.. a skeleton? "E-excuse me," Frisk began hesitantly, "Are.. are you a monster?" Toriel had told her that any monster she met outside the ruins would try to kill her. She only wondered if it would hurt.. Would this skeleton man try, if he knew? It was worth a shot. He opened his eyes again, giving Frisk an odd look.  
"Uh, yeah? What, and you're not?" Frisk stood, gathering her nerves. "Well, n-no. I'm a human, actually." The skeleton gave no reaction aside from a small, tired sigh. "That's not a very funny joke, kid. Everyone knows a human hasn't fallen in decades. Look, I'm trying to take a nap here. Go bother someone else with this." Chara floated up beside Frisk. "Wow, can he seriously not tell?" She chuckled. "That's just sad." Frisk waved a hand at her. "Hush, Chara," she told her quietly. Chara stuck out her tongue but remained quiet. Frisk took a step forward, trying to sound convincing. "No, really! I'm a human. I came from the Ruins." That seemed to catch the skeleton man's attention. He pushed off from the rock face and faced her directly. "The Ruins?" His gaze traveled to her chest, where the faint red glow that connected her to Chara still shone. His eyes narrowed. "Hm." He lifted one skeletal hand out of the pockets of his hoodie and gestured toward her with one finger. Frisk eyed him, confused, and then gasped as she felt a strange pressure deep inside her chest. Then she felt a sharp tug. It didn't hurt, exactly; it just felt wrong. Then, a faintly glowing red heart appeared in front of her, pulsating softly. Frisk didn't know what that was, or what was happening, but she had a deeply felt sense that it shouldn't be happening. That it was just.. wrong, somehow.  
The skeleton's face went through several different emotions at once, before settling back into that odd neutrality. "Huh. So you are a human. That's hilarious." He put his hand down, and the glowing red heart returned to it's place in Frisk's chest. Frisk placed her hands over her chest, not quite understanding what just happened. She felt better with.. whatever that was ... back inside her, though. "Well, welcome to the Underground, I guess," The skeleton continued. "Home to monsters, graveyard of hopes and dreams. I'm Sans, by the way. Sans the skeleton." Frisk eyed him suspiciously. "I'm.. Frisk. What.. did you just do to me? Are.. you going to kill me?"  
"That was your soul. Culmination of your entire being and all that." Sans shoved his hand back into the pocket of his hoodie. "To answer your second question, nah. I really should, I guess, but frankly, kid, I just don't care." He shrugged. Frisk was slightly disappointed to hear that. She tried not to let it show, but Sans must have noticed anyway. He chuckled humorlessly. "Heh. Most people would be happy to hear that they won't be dying. If you really want to, though, you could probably find one or two monsters still willing to take action. They're a rare breed nowadays, though. Lucky for you, I happen to know such a monster. My brother's dead set on helping monsters out of this god forsaken place, and he's willing to do just about anything. We live in the town just east of here. Feel free to stop by if you want to test your luck." He yawned. "Speaking of which, it's about time I head back. Be seeing you, kid." Sans walked down the pathway, and disappeared around the corner.  
"Wait!" Frisk yelled, chasing after him, but by the time she reached the corner, he was gone. She sighed. Chara floated up next to her. "Well, that sure was strange. What do ya think, Dollface? Wanna see about this mysterious brother of his?" Frisk nodded, anxious to just be done with everything. She just wanted to die. Soon.  
"Yeah. It's worth a shot, anyway."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took so long! I don't have a lot of time anymore. Highschool, ya know? Anyway, thanks for reading! <3  
> If you like this, consider telling your friends about it? Maybe? ..please?   
> imnotdesperateijustreallylikefeedbackiswear


	5. The.. Anxious Papyrus?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk finally reaches Snowdin Town, and meets some strange new monsters. She begins to witness the severity of the rampant hopelessness, and encounters Sans's mysterious brother. Will things go how she had hoped?

Frisk started to climb up the steep incline that led back to the top of the cliff. It was slick, with patches of ice hiding below the blanket of snow. More than once, she found herself right back where she started. Chara, safely floating above the treacherous slope, watched with an amused grin. On her fifth try, Frisk finally managed to reach the top, gasping for breath. Chara chuckled derisively. "About time, Dollface." Frisk didn't deign to answer her, not wanted to add fuel to the fire. Glancing back down the slope that caused her so much trouble, she wondered how Sans had gotten up it so quickly. He couldn't have been out her sight for more than a few seconds.. 

Sighing, Frisk got to her feet and started east, where Sans had directed her. A short few minutes of walking led her to another old, wooden bridge... Though, this one was much longer and spanned a huge gap. Frisk could've cried. She had had more than her fill of scary bridges for a lifetime. She paused at the edge of it, contemplating just going back to that nice, relaxing river.. But, she couldn't even dream of falling asleep in the snow, not now. Recent events had pretty much done away with that possibility. That, and she had already come so far... 

Chara made an impatient noise and floated a little ways across the bridge. "C'mon already! I thought you were anxious to get this over with? Staring at the bridge isn't going to make it any easier to cross, so just get on with it." Frisk only cast her a half-hearted glare. Taking a deep breath, she steeled her nerves and took a couple steps out onto the suspended wooden planks. They creaked, but not near as much as the bridges she had crossed before. She had to admit, this bridge seemed much more sturdy and well-kept, possibly because it was so close to the town. Looking across the span of the gap, she could just make outlines of buildings and a seemingly inviting golden glow. She started walking again, carefully placing each step. The bridge started to swing alarmingly as she neared the center of it. She paused again, feeling nauseous. She squeezed her eyes shut, swallowed, and continued forward. If she were alone, she would have paused much longer, maybe even considered just stopping altogether, but she knew Chara would only nag her until she kept moving if she did that. 

Frisk did eventually make it to the other side, however slow the going was. She felt immensely relieved as she stepped onto solid ground again. She couldn't help a wide grin breaking across her features. She could feel Chara laughing at her, probably at the irony of the whole situation, but she didn't care. She started walking again, shaky at first, but picking up speed as she went. She knew she shouldn't get her hopes up, but.. if what Sans said was true.. her chance at finally achieving her goal was just ahead! Chara floated beside her, keeping pace. She eyed Frisk with a smirk. "You sure are something, Dollface. Just a minute ago you were paralyzed at the thought of falling off that bridge, but now you eagerly run toward your apparent death." Frisk chuckled, only a bit. "Yeah, well, algiophobia kinda has that affect. Once I know one method hurts I'm terrified of it. It's kind of dumb." She wouldn't have usually graced Chara's sarcastic comment with a reply, but she was in too good a mood to care. Chara raised one eyebrow, surprised at the willing offering of information, but said nothing else.

Frisk soon reached the edge of the small, glowing town. At the entrance was what once must have been quite a cheerful sign saying, "Welcome to Snowdin Town!", but now it was faded, stained, and torn. Clearly, it had not been well taken care of, much like the bridges Frisk had crossed. She slowed to a walk as she entered Snowdin Town, searching carefully for any signs of Sans or this mysterious brother of his. She spotted a tall, female bunny monster standing outside the first building from the edge of the town. She was dressed in a black spaghetti strap tank and frayed shorts, and was leaning against the building smoking a cigarette. She didn't exactly look friendly, but Frisk decided to approach her to see if she could get any information on the brothers. Chara tsked as Frisk turned to walk toward her. "Dollface, didn't anyone teach you not to talk to strangers? Especially on their smoke break?" Frisk rolled her eyes at the ghost's sarcastic tone and carried on forward. It didn't matter if this monster lady was dangerous. If she decided to kill her, well, that would just make things quicker. 

"Um, hello? I'm kind of new here, and I was wondering if you knew where I could find a pair of skeleton brothers? One's kind of.. short and scary." Chara chuckled at that description of Sans. The bunny woman looked down at Frisk condescendingly, and blew out a puff of smoke. "What the hell are you supposed to be? Ain't never seen a monster like you before." Frisk gave an awkward laugh. "Aha, well, uh..." She would've told her the truth, she had no reason not to, but she did need the information and she suspected making this bunny monster think she was crazy wasn't exactly the best way to get it. "I'm.. from far away?" She tried to sound convincing. It wasn't a lie; the surface was far away. ..Kind of. 

The bunny woman stared down at her a little longer, took another pull of her cigarette, then spoke. "Ah, okay. From Hotland? Nah, more likely the Capitol. Anyway, I assume you're talkin' about Sans and Papyrus. They kinda sprung outta nowhere one day and... asserted themselves. Well, Sans did. That Papyrus, he's a nervous sort. Doesn't talk to folk easily, and is always fidgeting." The assorted bracelets of black, gold, and silver jingled on her wrist as she pointed farther east, at a large, two-story house near the eastern edge of town. "That'll be where ya want to go, kid. They live there. Dunno what business a kid like you got with them brothers, though. The short one's ain't very friendly, and the most anyone ever sees of 'im is when he's drinkin' himself silly at Grillby's or takin' a walk to god knows where. The taller one tries to be friendly, but he's too scared to make much of an impression. Ain't no one around her likes them cheerful types, anyway. Spreadin' that false hope and whatnot." She pulled on her cigarette one more time before flicking in into the snow. "Ain't none of my business though. Come back to my shop here if ya come across some gold. Don't get much business anymore, but I make some damn good cinnamon bunnies." She nodded to Frisk and heading back inside the shop. The rusted bell above the door gave a half-hearted ring.

"Well, Dollface, your chances aren't looking too good if what that lady said is true," Chara said with mock sympathy. "Looks like you'll hafta find a way to fulfill your death wish someplace else." Frisk turned to her, and shook her head. "No, Sans seemed pretty confident in his brother. I'm willing to trust what he said." Chara gave her an exasperated look. "Yeah, see, well, I've dealt with cowards before. They never carry through with anything you want 'em to, 'cause they're just too damned scared. Trust me." Frisk stared at her unwilling companion, a bit surprised. This was as serious as she'd ever heard the ghost, for the whole 3 days she's known her. She picked up that Chara meant what she said, but Frisk wasn't going to abandon a chance at this working, ever how slight it may be. She crossed her arms stubbornly. "Chara, I've got to try. This could be it." Chara opened her mouth to speak, but just sighed. "Fine, Dollface. Don't say I didn't warn ya." Frisk smiled triumphantly and continued walking toward the home of the brothers. She passed a place called "nowd In", though the sign looked like it had lost a few of its letters. Frisk assumed it was some sort of hotel, but it was a bit sketchy for her taste.

The duo quickly reached the center of the town, where a sad, bare evergreen tree grew. It seemed to droop, though there was no snow on the braches to weigh it down. She stopped to stare at it, much to the dismay of an impatient Chara. She jumped, startled, when a voice suddenly sounded from beside her. "It looks sad, doesn't it? My mom told me it used to stand tall and proud, with pretty lights and ornaments all over it. There used to be this nice old man that would leave presents under it for the town children. That all ended long before I was born, though." Frisk looked over to see a short, reptilian-looking monster wearing a striped, yellow and brown turtle neck and brown pants. He sounded young, maybe Frisk's age, but there was a sadness in his tone that didn't belong to a teenage kid. He had no arms, so his sweater sort of drooped on him, adding to his somber presence. 

"Uh, hi. That's.. a pretty sad story. What happened?" The reptilian monster looked at her, with permanently drooping eyes. "Monsters just stopped caring. It's the same old story with everything, isn't it? My name's Monster Kid, by the way. You can call me Kid." He attempted a smile. It was more of an awkward, half smirk, but at least he attempted. Frisk smiled back at him, wondering just how bad this place was that even one as young as him had become like that. "I'm Frisk. Nice to meet you." Kid nodded. "Same. I'd shake your hand, but you know." He shrugged his narrow shoulders. Frisk chuckled lightly. "It's okay."

"Urgh! Can we get going, please?" Chara suddenly chimed in. Her expression read mostly impatience, but there was something else Frisk couldn't place. "I'd push you along if I could, but I'm incorporeal and all."   
Frisk cast a quick, annoyed look at her without trying to be too obvious. She gave Kid an apologetic look. "I'd stay to talk more, but I have some business with the skeleton brothers. I really shouldn't keep them waiting." At that, Kid's expression became a little less droopy. "The skeleton brothers? That's cool. Papyrus is pretty amazing. Sure, he's a scardey-cat, but he tries to stay positive. I kinda admire that, since the rest of us have pretty much given up." He paused, then looked at her hopefully. Or, as close to that as he could get. "Think I could tag along?"

"Absolutely not!" Chara said firmly. "Tell him, Frisk. We gotta do this alone, right?" Frisk gave Chara a quick, meaningful look. She didn't understand why she was so against this kid. He seemed nice enough. Besides, he probably didn't get many chances to do something that brought him any amount of joy. Also, it'd be funny to annoy her ghostly companion. Though watching her die might be a tad traumatizing.. She nodded. "Sure. You can come." Kid did that awkward half-smile again. "Cool." Together, they walked on toward the brothers' home. Kid didn't say much, but he seemed to like the silence, so Frisk let him be. Chara had her arms crossed and was grumbling the whole way. 

On their way, the trio passed Grilby's, seemingly the only well-kept building in town. The brightly-glowing neon sign proclaiming the name of the bar in a fancy script was in perfect condition. She couldn't say the same for the next building, the hand-painted sign proudly proclaiming "LIBRARBY." Frisk half-expected Chara to make some sort of sarcastic joke about the poorly-done work, but she just sulked as she floated along. Finally, they reached the home of the skeleton brothers. It didn't look very inviting to Frisk, but she could tell an effort was made to keep in a somewhat decent condition. The only thing that helped brighten up the home were a warmly glowing lantern hanging from the ceiling of the tiny porch, and a single, sad string of Christmad lights hanging above the door. The odd, cheerful touch contrasted poorly with the over all appearance of the house. Frisk began to climb the stairs to knock on the dull red door when two figures, one short and one tall, rounded the eastern corner of the house. A nervous, strangely accented male voice broke the silence.

"Is...is that them, Sans? The human?" Frisk glanced looked over to see Sans, standing next to a significantly taller skeleton, wearing some sort of odd suit, gray and black with gold trim. With it he wore red and black striped boots with small white spikes on the end, and a long, tattered, black and red striped scarf wrapped around his neck and trailing behind him. He looked unsure, and expression that didn't match his taste in clothing at all. He looked down at his brother. Sans nodded. "Yup. That's the human, alright." His strangely flat, neutral voice badly contrasted with Papyrus's tone. "Heya kid. Figured you'd come. This is my brother, Papyrus. He'll take care of ya." He took one hand out of his hoodie pockets to loosely gesture at the tall skeleton. 

Papyrus gulped (could skeletons gulp?) and turned to face Frisk. "G-Greetings, human and monster child that the human brought with them. I am P-Papyrus." He fidgeted with his gloved hands for a long moment. Frisk stepped off the porch to better face him. She saw Kid was looking between her and the brothers, seeming awfully confused. "Hello, Papyrus. I'm Frisk." She spread her arms wide, more than prepared for what was to come. "I'm ready when you are." Papyrus stopped fidgeting with his hands and balled them into fists at his side. His expression became more determined. "Y-Yes, very good, human. Then, start we shall!" 

"What, he's actually going to do it?!" Chara exclaimed, shocked. There was something else in her tone as well. Anxiety..? Sans walked past the two facing each other and put a hand on Kid's shoulder. He looked down at him. "C'mon, kid. There's no reason for you to see this. Go home." Kid still looked very confused, and a little anxious. "But-" Sans interrupted him. "No arguing. Home. Now." Sans's neutral tone took on a slightly aggressive tone, and Kid's eyes widened. "Y-Yes, sir!" With one quick glance back at Frisk, he scurried away. Sans looked back at Papyrus. "I'm goin' to Grillby's. You can tell me all about it when it get home, yeah?" He turned and walked off without waiting for a reply. Frisk looked back at Papyrus, her arms still spread apart, waiting. Papyrus took a deep breath. "A-alright, human.. I hope you are ready to help me prove that not all hope is lost to all monsters! This is where the torment ends!" He lifted one gloved hand and gestured toward her in the same manner Sans had. She felt the same sharp tug, and her soul appeared before her, red and glowing faintly.

She looked toward Papyrus, whose expression was shifting. He suddenly seemed much more unsure than a moment ago. She could tell he was trying his best, however. "I..I'm sorry it has to be this way, but I will try to make it quick! I promise!" He gestured again.

Frisk heard a quick "ding!"

And her soul turned blue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry for the long hiatus! I'm working on several projects at once, and I can only do so much! ^^'  
> As always, thanks so much for reading! Any feedback is much appreciated.~  
> And remember, if you like this story, please spread the word! It really encourages me.


	6. Blinded by Emotion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk's fight with Papyrus doesn't go exactly as planned. Chara learns something about herself, Frisk, and the bond they share.  
> Also, spaghetti.
> 
> Warning: Mild Gore

As soon as her soul turned blue, Frisk felt as if gravity had increased on her tenfold. Her soul plunged to the ground, and she fell to her knees, startled. She was able to get back to her feet, though she didn't know how. No one should be able to even move like this... She glanced at Papyrus. His expression still held a nervousnous that made Frisk doubt he would be able to go through with this. Still... she had to trust what Sans said. Maybe if she reminded him of what was at stake here... She called out to him.  
"It's fine, Papyrus. Do it. I know how much it'll help everyone here if you have my soul. I want this." Papyrus sighed and shifted in place. He held out his hand.  
"Yes, okay. I can do this. It is only the future of monsters, no pressure..." He seemed to be talking to himself more than Frisk. She waited, and as she watched, a gesture from Papyrus's gloved hand manifested several, faintly glowing bones that hung in the air around him. He clenched his teeth and swept his hand in a grande gesture toward Frisk. The bones flew at her, some scraping against her and some impaling her. None seemed to hit anything vital. Her mouth opened in shock and she fell back to her knees in the snow. The pain... what was this pain? It... it wasn't simply physical. She felt as if something at her very core was being threatened. Looking down, she noticed a hairline crack spreading across the surface of her soul...She began to tremble. Was this what it felt like? Magic? She didn't expect this. She didn't like this. This was a new pain, something she never wanted, never would, imagine. She screamed.  
Chara looked on in shock. Clearly this wasn't what Frisk had expected, but then, what has she? Magic was a weapon like any other, but it targeted the soul, specifically. Chara thought it would have been funny to see Frisk figure this out for herself, but she felt anything but amused at the moment. As she looked on, she realized how terrified Frisk really was. She was clutching at the magical bones, screaming, pleading. Had she underestimated Frisk's fear? It shouldn't bother her, but... it did. Why? Her chest began to glow that faint red. Chara didn't understand any of this...  
As Frisk lay on her knees in a panic, the magic bones dissolved into thin air, leaving her open wounds exposed to the biting cold. It was agony. She looked up at Papyrus with a pleading expression. Her voice was trembling. "I... I changed my mind. Stop, I... I promise I'll find some other way to provide the monsters with my soul. Please, I... I don't want this..." The tall skeleton grimaced, and his teeth began to chatter nervously.  
"I..I am sorry, but I can't... I have to do this, but I promise you I didn't intend..." He pauses, and closes his eyes, pointed one gloved hand in her direction again. "...Please understand." More bones, of varying shapes and sizes, flew at Frisk with a greater speed than before. It seemed Papyrus was trying to end this quickly. The bones hit Frisk with several, sickening thuds. Frisk fell sideways in the snow, trembling violently, her mouth open but no sound coming out. Chara watched, trembling, as her bright red blood stained the snow. She wasn't dying, though, and Chara knew she was just laying there in agony. She knew a few things about magic. If the user didn't possess the will to kill, the desire, the attacks would be weakened. She didn't think Papyrus fully realized what he was doing to Frisk. His attacks were weakening her, yes, but if he didn't step up his game Frisk wasn't going to die for a few more rounds. Chara could see that her soul had only a few hairline cracks. At this rate, Frisk would die, but... this wasn't how she envisioned it, Chara knew.  
She scowled and ran her hands through her short hair. Why was she even thinking like this? She didn't care, right? Frisk was just another random human that got stuck down here that she happened to get chained to. It's not like she wanted to follow that brat around. And the quicker she died the quicker she could... she sighed. Could what? Go back to haunting her adoptive mom's tiny house in that stupid purple dungeon? She growled in frustration. The red glow got a bit brighter.  
Papyrus was trembling. He had never seen so much blood... if he had a stomach, he was sure he would have emptied it then and there. The human was still moving, writhing around in the snow, her mouth open in silent screams. He didn't like this. This...this wasn't how he imagined the scene of him becoming the hero of the monsters was supposed to go at all. It...it had to done, though...right? He had come this far. If he didn't finish it here, then... he would only be proving everyone who had called him a coward right. It was for the greater good, he knew, but then why... did it feel so wrong? He shook his head. No, he couldn't doubt himself now. He clenched his jaw so hard he thought his teeth would shatter. He summoned more of his glowing bones. He'd end it in this last shot.  
The scene unfolded in slow motion for Chara. Papyrus's tightly closed eyes, his hand raising toward Frisk again...and the bones beginning to fly. She was suddenly overcome with emotion, her eyes opening wide. "NO..!" she shouted. A bright flash of red light encompassed the area for only a moment before fading. When the light was gone, Chara saw that the bones had dissolved, and Papyrus was standing with a a blank expression on his face. His hand dropped to his side. Papyrus, after awhile, blinked several times. Chara could've sworn she saw a swirl of red light dance around his head before disappearing. His expression turned horrified rather suddenly and he ran to Frisk, dropping to his knees and holding her in his arms.  
"Oh, no, nonono, what have I done? This is wrong. I never... I wasn't thinking clearly..." Frisk was unresponsive. Chara could see tears gathering in the corners of Papyrus's eyesockets. (Were they...orange...?)He layed one gloved hand carefully over her chest. "Oh, hang on, human. I... know some limited healing magic. I'll fix you up." His hand began to glow green, the magic spreading into Frisk's body. Before Chara's eyes, Frisk's wounds began to close and the color slowly returned to her skin. She remained unconciouse, however. Papyrus stopped, trembling a bit. "That is the extent of what I can do, but... I'll take you inside to rest and cook you soemthing to regain strength. Oh...I am so sorry..." He stands with her in his arms and carries her into his slightly ramshakle house. He has to fumble with the lock for a few seconds.  
Chara followed behind, floating into the house behind them. It...was much tidier than expected, though the paint was peeling in several places. Papyrus placed Frisk carefully on the only furniture present in the living space: an old, lumpy couch that was offensive shade of green. Chara settled on the back of the couch, staring down at her companion as Papyrus walked out of the room, presumably to the kitchen. Frisk's face was peaceful, like it was her first few days in Toriel's home when she was in a coma. It was a look she didn't wear when she was awake. It was a shame. She was actually fairly pretty without all the constant scowling or worry lines. Chara looked away quickly. Not that it was something she payed much attention to or anything.  
As time wore on, Chara's mind drifted back to the fight. She remembered being overwhelmed with emotion, and a sudden red flash. Papyrus suddenly changed after that... drastically. She hadn't really payed attention to it at the time, but... her chest had been glowing right before all that happened. Was she responsible for Papyrus's sudden mood swing? She didn't think feats like were possible, at least not by her. She had always thought her capabilities to affect the world around her were rather limited as a ghost. Maybe it had something to do with this strange bond she shared with Frisk... was their connection allowing Chara to have a firmer grasp on the mortal plane? She grinned. Well. Maybe it wasn't all bad being chained to this weirdo.  
As Chara was lost in thought, Frisk stirred and slowly woke up. She groaned. She didn't feel that horrifying pain anymore, but she was still very sore. She suddenly gasped and sat up, looking around her. She was... in a house? What happened? Where was Papyrus? The last thing she remembered before she passed out was a weird red light, Papyrus suddenly going still, and his last attack dissolved just before it reached her.  
"Well, goodmorning, Dollface," she heard slightly-less-snarky than usual voice say above her say. She looked up to see Chara grinning down at her.  
"Chara? What happened? Where am I?" She paused. "...and why am I not dead?" Chara chuckled sarcastically.  
"Glad to see you have your priorities straight, sweetheart. If you must know, Papyrus changed his mind at the last second and healed what he could of your wounds. He brought you inside and layed you down on this poor excuse of a couch." She gestured to the kitchen. "He's in there whipping up some food for you. Probably a good thing, since you've basicaly eaten nothing for three days." Frisk raised an eyebrow. Since when did Chara care if she ate or not? Whatever. Chara was impossible to undertsand. She shifted uncomfortably. She wasn't kidding about the couch, though...  
Frisk didn't know how to feel about all this. For one, she was thankful that that horrifying pain was over, but on the other hand... once she had gone unconciouse, it wouldn't have mattered. Papyrus could've attacked her however she wanted. Even so... that really wasn't how she wanted to leave this world, anyway. She had always wanted to with a sense of peace and accomplishment. Hard to feel those things when yor soul is lterally being torn apart. She decided it was for the best. Still, she didn't understand Papyrus's sudden change of heart, or what the red flash was. It was all so strange. She looked back up at her translucent companion. She noticed that the faint red glow was back, but Chara didn't seem annoyed or ruffled from a sudden jump. In fact she seemed rather calm. She had a small grin stuck to her face.  
It suddenly clicked for Frisk. The red light... was that Chara? Did she somehow stop Papyrus? Why would she do something like that..? "Hey, Chara?" Frisk asked slowly. Chara looked down at her face and blinked her odd red eyes. "What is it, Dollface?" Somehow, when she called Frisk by that pet name this time, it seemed like less of an insult. Frisk shifted in her seat again.  
"That red light... Was that you? Did... did you somehow stop Papyrus?" Chara's eyes widened a little. She didn't expect Frisk to connect the dots so fast. Heck, she didn't even know if Frisk had been awake to see it.  
"Ah, well... I think so?" Chara began awkwardly. "I don't really know how. It just sorta...happened." She purposfull left out the fact that she had become irrationally emotional before it happened. "I don't know exactly what it did, either. Just that, it made Papyrus stop, and maybe it even changed his mind." Frisk looked thougtful for several long moments. So... Chara had rescued her from the pain? That... didn't make sense. Frisk thought Chara would be happy to see her go, pain or not. It wasn't her problem, anyway, that Frisk was so terrified of pain. She just wanted to be unbound from her... didn't she? Frisk looked up at her.  
"Chara, why would you do that? You could've been rid of me if you had let Papyrus finish what he started." Chara looked away awkwardly. If it was possible for ghosts to blush, Chara would've been. She didn't know how to answer that. She still hadn't sorted it all herself...  
"Well...ah, I..." Before she could get out a single sentence, Papyrus returned from the kitchen, carrying a steaming plate of spaghetti. He set it down beside Frisk. "There you go. It's good, I promise. You'll feel much better with a full stomach." He went quiet, and shuffled his feet. He avoided eye contact with Frisk. "Listen, I... I apologize profusely for my actions today. That... never should have happened. I am all to aware of the great need of the Underground for a human soul, but..." He paused and looked at Frisk with a new determination. "There must be a better way than that. I've realized I cannot kill others for our own gain, human or not. I am so sorry it took this for me to realize that. I don't expect you to forgive me, but I do hope you'll accept my apologies."  
Frisk saw the sincerity in Papyrus's eyes. She sensed he had a (figurative) good heart despite what he put her through. She couldn't forget the pain, but... it really was her own fault anyway. She had literally been asking for it. Besides that, she saw how he had been struggling the enitre time. She shook her head and smiled a bit. "Consider it accepted. You were only doing what I asked of you, anyway." She picked up the spaghetti and took a bite. Huh. It really was good... delicious, in fact. Frisk guessed the lack of humans left quite a bit of time to persue hobbies. Papyrus smiled, relieved.  
"Thank goodness. Please, enjoy and rest. I'm going to go clean up." He went upstairs. Chara floated down from the back of the couch to settle beside Frisk as she ate Papyrus's spaghetti in slow bites. The glow at her chest hadn't dissipated yet. Frisk looked over at her.  
"Today was quite the adventure, huh?" Chara chuckled and sighed.  
"That's one way of putting it, I suppose." Frisk went quiet for a moment, looking like she wanted to say more. Chara didn't press. Frisk had nearly eaten all the pasta before speaking up again.  
"Hey, Chara?"  
"Hm?"  
"...Thank you."  
The glow at Chara's chest brightened just a bit.

\-----------------------------------------------------------  
Extra

Papyrus took quiet awhile upstairs in his room, scrubbing the blood off of his outfit and cleaning himself up, as well. When he was done, before he left his room, he grabbed one of his spare blankets and headed downstairs. He saw that the human, Frisk, he remembered, was already fast asleep on his and Sans' lumpy sofa. She smiled a small smile and covered her with the blanket. He went outside and leaned on the wooden railing, waiting for his older brother to mosey home from his trip to Grillby's. He didn't know how Sans would react if he told him he had spared the human. Would he be dissappointed? Papyrus dreaded that. All he had ever wanted was to make his big brother proud. Sans had always known what to do and what he wanted. He was so cool. Papyrus, well... he wasn't. Sans had always protected him, and took care of him. Papyrus didn't want Sans to be ashamed of having him as his brother. He knew he was different; a coward or an annoyance. That's why he tried so hard to be like Sans. Sans was respected.  
Papyrus waited there for a couple hours before he spotted Sans walking slowly toward the house, his hood up and hands stuffed in his pockets. Papyrus stood up straight and met Sans at the bottom of the stairs. Sans looked up at him, and then around at the scene before him. There was blood-stained snow everywhere.  
"Hey, Paps. How did it go? Well, by the looks of it." Papyrus shifted nervously and avoided his brother's eyes.  
"Ah, w-well, I didn't exactly...You see, I..." he took a breath and looked Sans in the eyes. "I couldn't do it, brother. It suddenly became so clear as I saw the human lying hurt in the snow. It's wrong, killing an innocent person simply for our own gains. I've tried so long to convince myself that that's what has to happen, that it's the only way, but... It isn't right. It isn't me. I know you're probably dissapointed, but I..." Sans cut hiim off.  
"Papyrus. I've known along that you were trying to be something you weren't, but just me telling you that wasn't going to change anything. When I met that human, I saw an opprutunity for you to learn to stop denying who you are. I knew you wouldn't kill them." He layed a hand on Papyrus's arm. Sans' expression never really changed, but Papyrus had gotten good at reading his emotions. He could tell Sans was smiling as well as he knew how. "You're finally standing up for what you believe in. I'm proud of you, little bro." Papyrus could feel his eyes welling with tears again. He suddenly bent down and swooped up Sans in big hug.  
"I love you, brother!" Sans chuckled quietly and patted his back.  
"Love you too, Paps."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so very sorry for my long hiatus, dear readers. I want to thank anyone who's stuck with AngstTale despite the slow updates. I'd love to hear from those of you who are keeping up with AngstTale: Drop a comment, a suggestion, or just say hi!~ It does wonders for my inspiration. 
> 
> Thank you all!~


End file.
